Games
by Melancholy-Vixen
Summary: Intermission- Alphonse FMAxSaw Hiatus
1. Prologue

* * *

**Rated Mature for extremely graphic content including but not limited to:**  
_-Gore  
-Language  
-Minor sexual content  
-Violence  
-Drugs_

You have been warned_  
_

* * *

**Games**

Prologue

* * *

_"Today, five people will become one, with the goal of surviving."_

* * *

_Nngh…_

_Thuh-thump._

_Thuh-thump. _

_My… head…_

_Thuh-thump._

"He's waking up."

"You sure about that? He's been out for a while now…"

_Thuh-thump._

"He's a heavy sleeper. But he's awake. I know it."

_Thuh-thump._

"He's not much use with only one arm and leg."

_Thuh-thump._

"Well, in our situation, it's better than nothing."

_Thuh-thump._

A shrill ringing tore into Edward's head as his eyes fluttered open. He sucked in his breath in a painful gasp, gagging once as bile rose from his throat and spilled a little over his lips. He coughed several times, his face mere inches from the cement floor. He could practically feel the iciness from the stone rise in a cloud towards his face. If anything, this only made his horrible nausea worse.

"Ed?" A frightened female voice asked, "Are you alright?"

Ed slowly lifted his trembling head and squinted forward to see a familiar blond-haired teen, Winry, looking worriedly at him. She repeated her question, but her voice was warped and incoherent to Edward's ears. He looked over her shoulder, seeing a dark-haired man seemingly pouting in a corner. There were others, but he was far too out-of-mind to pay any more attention to them. Wait, was one of them calling his name? There was a bitter smell of smoke-

_THUH-THUMP._

Ed curled forward and vomited a terrible mixture of blood and acid. This throat wailed in agony as it was shredded from the inside, and after his stomach was empty, he folded over and collapsed helplessly onto his side. His gaze dulled and he allowed it to remain on the far wall. It was covered in an off-white paint, which was noticeably peeling and smeared with a faint crimson.

"Ed!" Winry cried, hesitantly reaching out a hand. However, she remained in place. Ed squeezed his eyes shut, biting back the lingering sickness and forcing his mind to spin; forcing it to remember… where was he? And why the hell were _they _there with him?

He quickly pulled a blank. There was nothing. He could hardly remember anything he was doing for the past week, nonetheless that moment… something about… finishing a task in the desert? Al kept running off… Al…

_Alphonse._

Ed forced his eyes open and pushed himself up, ignoring the sharp screams of pain that tore through his muscles. Once again, and with much more clarity than previously, he scanned the room.

His brother, a very obvious suit of armor, was no where to be found.

"Where is he?!" Ed demanded, and then froze up in shock at the pathetic, broken sound of his voice. It hardly fit him at all.

A distinct, hurt expression crossed Winry's face, and she looked down at the floor while her fingers wrapped around her arms, her fingernails digging hard into her flesh.

"I don't know. When I woke up he wasn't here," she said softly. From behind her, Mustang looked up, interest gleaming in his eyes for the briefest second before he lowered his head and closed his eyes once more. He wanted nothing to do with what was going on, and was primarily focused on ways he could somehow escape without alchemy…

A strangely intimidating silence swallowed the room, the single and only noise being Edward's agitated and sickening pants as he desperately tried to remain calm.

Something akin to a soft buzzing from a radio emanated from somewhere in the ceiling, then…

"_Hello Edward, and everyone else" _a gruff, male voice spoke in eerie politeness. Ed gasped and looked over his shoulder, and then at every corner to find the source of the voice. The other occupants of the room did as well. _"Ah, Edward Elric. You don't know me, but I know everything about you. It must be nice being so powerful, isn't it? You're merely sixteen and already you've got so much experience and pain under your belt. So much pain… it still hurts, doesn't it?"_

Ed gritted his teeth. "What the…" he mumbled in a low growl to himself, his eyes narrowing.

"_You're famous and infamous. Loved by some, and hated by many. Everything you do is for selfish reasons and yet somehow it ends up in the favor of the people. You hardly care about others who need help. It's you, it's your precious military, and it's your lover."_

Edward snarled at the last statement, but was cut off before he could speak by the man's voice.

"_And it's about your brother. You and your brother. Side to side. Well, how will you cope without him, Edward? And how far are you willing to go to reach him?"_

"Alphonse… what did you do to him? Where the fuck is he?!" Ed had finally snapped, and resorted to angry screaming towards the walls. He attempted to stand, but instantly fell back onto his side as he remembered the lack of his left leg. He groaned, and drug himself back up using the support of a wall.

"_How much pain are you willing to cause for your own benefit?"_

His left fist slammed against the wall, his pale fingers raking it like a claw.

"_How much pain are you willing to inflict on others to reach your goal?"_

"Who are you?! Where is he… what the hell do you _want?!_" Ed screamed, slumping tiredly against the floor, his shoulders trembling as he bit back a flare of panic boiling in his chest.

Silence.

"_I want to play a game."_


	2. Edward's Trial Part One

* * *

**Games**

Edward's Trial Part One

* * *

_"Death is a surprise party. Unless of course you're already dead on the inside."_

* * *

"A… game…?" Edward wheezed. "You kidnapped me… them… for a damn _game?_ What kind of psychopath are you?! And where's my automail…?!" He barked at the ceiling while Winry watched him with a look of despair, her eyes bloodshot from crying- hours prior to Ed's awakening.

He gritted his teeth and waited several beats only to never receive any sort of reply, besides the on-going buzz of the invisible speakers.

"_This is your first test," _the voice finally piped up, as if never hearing Ed's outcry, _"You've lost so much in your past. You've dealt with tragedy after horrible tragedy and have become stronger from it. You've faced death and saved others from it. However… how much have you _really _sacrificed? How many people you love have been killed before your eyes, for your cause? By your hand?"_

Edward swallowed back a knot in his throat, his eyebrow twitching in aggravation. While he wouldn't openly admit it, he was scared. No, not just that, he was terrified. It might be different if it was him and Al, plus his automail, completely aware of what was going on, but… he was blind and only had an arm and leg. There would be no alchemy, as far as he could tell, and he could hardly stand as it was, nonetheless somehow find a way to escape the closed-off room.

He could only sit and hope the psychopath speaking wasn't quite as insane as he first thought.

"_They say losing someone makes you stronger in the end. But for this test, your very survival depends on one person. One person, solely, who withholds the key to your escape. I would work fast if I were you, though, as you have limited air and the only means of exiting this room is both hidden and locked behind one of these walls. Not to mention the life of your means of survival is slowly ticking away."_

On cue, Winry threw herself at a nearby wall and promptly began bashing her fists against it, screaming to be let out. Fresh tears welled in her eyes. Edward's stomach churned at the sight of her going into full-blown panic at the thought of being killed so quickly.

"_Getting the key won't be easy. You'll have to throw away every emotion and bond in order to retrieve it. Is it worth losing someone for the rest to survive? The choice is yours."_

"Wait, what kind of game is-"

"_The game has begun." _

"No!" Edward cried, slamming his fist to the floor. "What… what am I supposed to do?!"

"Get a hold of yourself Fullmetal," Mustang ordered coolly. Ed, hesitantly, glanced upwards to see the man staring intently at him. His face was relaxed, sure, but Ed could sense the smallest bit of fear rising from him. Apparently Mustang did, in fact, have a heart.

"The guy's probably just messing with us. I doubt he has any idea what he's talking about, anyway," a voice from behind Edward said. He blinked, and turned around to see Jean Havoc sitting against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed. He looked a little… anxious about something. It probably had something to do with the whole situation itself, and the fact that there wasn't any sort of cigarette hanging from his lips.

Havoc's eyes flicked open, their azure glare piercing through Edward and causing him to flinch. It had been a while since he had seen him so serious about anything…

"I don't know about you, Lieutenant Havoc, but I'm not prepared to let my guard down so easily. Regardless of how absurd his claims are."

Edward gasped at a second female voice, and turned around to see Riza Hawkeye sitting much like her counterparts, arms crossed. She seemed just as calm as Roy, but her fingers twitched occasionally and were tightly gripping her sleeves.

"But what if he's not lying?!" Winry suddenly wailed, flying back around, tears streaming from her face. "There's no sort of ventilation or anything, and these walls are solid. We could run out of air. It's a small room…"

"If the walls are solid, then there wouldn't be a doorway out," Havoc replied with a small shrug. "If there is, then we'll find it and bust out. Simple as that."

"With what, may I ask?" Mustang countered, his onyx-colored eyebrows furrowing. "We have no weapons and essentially no means of using alchemy."

Edward paused for a moment in thought, before biting down hard on his thumb. He winced as pain shot up his torso from his teeth puncturing his skin.

"Not quite," he said, smoothly drawing out a transmutation circle on the wall in blood. "If there isn't a door, well… we make one."

It was silent, besides a couple occupants murmuring to themselves in thought.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Edward," Riza advised grimly, "After all, if he went so far as removing your automail, then he probably figured out a way to counter regular circles as well."

Ed snorted, and without another thought, pressed his hand down on the transmutation circle. After all, what more could they lose?

The entire room suddenly lit up as a brilliant array drew itself from Ed's makeshift circle, to the floors, over the ceiling and around the walls. Instinctively, he sucked in his breath and yanked his hand away.

"_You underestimate me."_

Something from the floor rumbled, and a hazy gas began drifting upwards from the cement. The light, smoky wisps licked the air and brushed against Edward's nose. He covered his mouth with his free hand, though still blood-stained and bleeding, and coughed hoarsely into it.

"Augh, what the hell is this?!" Edward croaked in between gags. Everyone else was doing similar, except for Havoc and Mustang, who were simply holding their sleeve over their faces to block the gas from reaching them. Mustang glared angrily at Ed.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He snarled, any and all patience lost, "You should know by now to actually _think_ before you do something stupid!"

"Shut up," Ed said simply, his attention oddly drawn to Havoc. While he was coughing, it was much less healthy sounding than just irritation from the smoke. He choked and coughed, the disgusting sound of phlegm and material being caught in his throat reverberating off the walls of the room. He hunched over, and pulled his sleeve back to cough towards the floor. Eventually, he was sick over the cement and spilled a terrifying black substance from his mouth. Even after that, he gagged as if something was caught in his throat.

"Holy hell," Edward muttered, "What's going on with him…?" His voice was quiet, yet horrified at the same time. He looked over at Mustang, half-expecting a response, but only got a somewhat saddened stare. This only caused him to worry more.

Feeling the teenager's eyes on him, Roy folded and took in a steady breath.

"Havoc… he-"

"_The game is nearly over. Will you really fail so quickly? Your time is running out, even faster now, thanks to your stubborn ignorance releasing a slow-acting toxin into the air. Luckily, if you can manage to get the key soon, you _may_ have a chance of survival."_

"Well, where the damn key then?!" Ed shrieked, fully enraged.

"_It seems you will take some time to learn your place, Edward Elric. To value what you have. You're so quick and hot-headed that you lack the ability to appreciate the life you've lived. Here is your final clue: the key's holder is slowly dying at this moment, even faster than yourself. However, by the time death reaches him, it'll take you and everyone in that room with you, as well. The key cannot be found because he is withholding it where nobody can easily reach. If you can get it, he will die. If you refuse, you all go together."_

The buzzing stopped all together.

"Argh!" Edward cried in frustration. "I hate this! What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

While the boy continued mouthing off in his state of rage, Mustang was in a shocked silence. He understood, and looked over at Havoc. The man's coughing was dying down, but occasionally he did release one into his sleeve. His entire form was shaking tremendously with exhaustion; his eyes squeezed shut to ignore the pain and anxiety from nearly suffocating.

After Ed managed to calm himself down, he and the girls watched as Mustang silently stood, walked over to Havoc, and knelt in front of him. His lips moved as he murmured something, at one point causing Havoc's eyes to widen to sickening amounts. He lowered his gaze to the floor and Mustang rested a hand on his shoulder.

He swore he saw the blond exhale a small, "Yeah," before suddenly Mustang's hands wrapped tightly around his throat, Winry screaming from her position in pure terror. Riza looked away, a clear expression of shame dwelling within her and rising to her face.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ed screeched, attempting to crawl over and throw himself at Mustang. He beat at the man's shoulder with his fist, as he was barely within reach and far too pain-ridden to move any further.

"Stand aside, Fullmetal," Mustang said much too calmly.

"Stop it! You're going to kill him!" Edward protested, continuing to hit at his commanding officer. Eventually, Mustang let go of Havoc's throat with one hand and smacked Edward square in the face, sending him tumbling back. Then, the black-haired man went back to squeezing the life out of his comrade.

"I have no choice," Mustang growled shakily. It was then Ed realized the pain Roy was feeling from strangling him. If that was the case, then why was he doing it…? "Havoc has lung cancer," he continued. Ed's breath caught in his throat. "He didn't have long to live… he could hardly do anything, he was coughing so bad…" His knuckles turned white. Havoc's arms fell limp to his sides.

"Don't you get it, Ed? He hardly has any time left and the same goes for us. He knew the whole time. He knew! He won't fight back because he understands…"

Edward began shaking, vomit threatening to rise back up into his throat as Mustang released Havoc, and the man collapsed lifelessly to the floor. Red imprints of hands remained on his throat.

"He is the key. No… he _has _the key," Mustang finished, clenching his fists. "It's inside him. I had to kill him to get it. I don't want to cause him anymore pain than necessary."

"In… Inside?" Ed breathed raggedly. Mustang nodded slowly.

"We have no choice. Fullmetal, considering you've already activated the trap set for us, I need you to use the floor to transmute a blade." Roy gingerly wrapped his arms around Havoc's shoulder and turned him onto his back.

"No," Edward responded quickly, a very sharp edge in his voice, "There's no way in hell I'm going to have anything to do with this murdering game. No way in hell." He coughed twice from the gas, and attempted to hide the oncoming tears that were building in his eyes- both from despair, and the toxin.

"Fullmetal…"

The faint sound of a body falling caught Edward's attention. In horror, he watched Winry fall still after she had collapsed to the floor, entirely limp. She didn't as much as twitch.

"Winry," Ed whispered barely within hearing range, and looked over to see Riza struggling to keep herself conscious. Her sleeve was pressed to her face, but her body was slumped against the wall, her head sitting against her shoulder at an uncomfortable angle. She was pale…

_Thuh-thump_

"Fu-Fullmetal. Ed…" Roy coughed. Ed twisted around to see Mustang barely able to support himself next to Havoc's corpse, coughing up trace amounts of vomit. He didn't have much time left… and Winry… Riza…

Winry could be dead. Riza and Roy were next. Havoc was… his death really was the only way to survive? If the key was truly within him, how was he supposed to…?

_Thuh-thump_

A blade, that's right. Mustang wanted him to transmute a blade… he wanted to cut his comrade open.

Edward screamed in fear and absolute rage once Mustang succumbed to the gas and passed out next to Havoc's body. He was the only one left.

_Thuh-thump_

He had to get out. He had to save them, if they still had a chance… Winry…

_Thuh-thump_

Panic engulfed his vision and warped it into unrecognizable blurs. The toxic air was beginning to grasp him as well. He had to hurry.

A brief light blinded him before he gripped something in his left hand. His fingers were almost entirely numb. Faster… he had to go _faster._

_Thuh-thump_

He vaguely felt cloth. Was this it? Edward's body swayed as he desperately tore at the clothes which protected the key from his reach.

He gasped for air, this throat burning, and haphazardly plunged the blade forward with little regard for his aim. Warmth spurted up into his face and spilled over his hands.

_Thuh-thump_

His hands were tangled by warm, slippery loops as he clawed desperately for a solid object. Something caught on his hands. Roaring, he flung it against the wall and splattered crimson all over the floor, and himself.

He couldn't see anymore. It was pitch black. Only the pulsing sound of his heartbeat and the weak sense of feeling in his hands told him what he was doing. Where was it?!

_Thuh-thump_

An electric spark shot through his numb hands as he grasped it. It had to be it. He tore his hands from the gore and briefly felt it. The key… it felt like a giant coin.

_Thuh-THUMP_

He squirmed across the cold floor, his hand slipping as he used it to feel the floor. He had to find a wall. He didn't care which, just a wall…

There.

_Thuh-THUMP_

He wailed and shoved the key to the wall. Alchemy lit up the room at once and a large square in the wall draw itself out, eventually causing the part of the wall to completely give way and crumble into dust. Fresh air flooded inside and washed away the toxin, filling Edward's lungs completely full with the sweetness before his face hit the floor and the last ember of his consciousness faded into nothingness.


	3. Mustang's Trial Part One

Games

Mustang's Trial: Part One

* * *

_"The rules of our game have been made very clear. You need to abide by those rules."_

* * *

As Mustang regained consciousness, he instinctively coughed up bile and bitter-tasting saliva which had been blocking his airway. His fingers tested the floor, all trembling against the rough linoleum surface. He gritted his teeth with a small, frustrated growl easing up inside his throat and forced himself semi-upright. He blinked through the harsh light of two ceiling lights and eventually came to the conclusion that he was in a different room than before. It was a little larger, and much dirtier…

He gasped as he heard a weak, feminine grunt coming from the opposite wall. Her blond hair was tussled over her shoulders in messy bunches, and her bangs were matted with blood and other filth. However, the distinct gaze that rested on Mustang as he struggled to his feet was enough motivation to send his heart into frenzy.

He knew his Lieutenant was in danger. It didn't take much to reach that conclusion. By what exactly, he wasn't certain of, but it most likely had something to do with Riza being tied up to a literal, giant crucifix. Her arms and legs were bound to each limb of the metal shape, and a leather strap was tight in between her teeth, preventing her from speaking properly. Mustang grew closer and she growled a little, her eyebrows furrowing. He decided it would be great if, at that moment, he could read thoughts.

Mustang's onyx eyes flicked over to the machinery on each side of the cross. There were several rusted gears, all sitting at perpendicular angles and connecting to one another in a specific scheme. A thick metal chain ran across sides of the gears were it was linked, unbreakable, and eventually connecting to where Riza's arms were tied. Roy slowly reached up and touched the cross, sliding his finger tips over to where its arms met with the base. He paused for a brief second and tapped a distinct line in the metal that he hadn't noticed before. It wasn't connected. The arms of the cross could be pulled away… with Riza attached. His stomach flipped as he put the puzzle pieces together, and a familiar buzzing sounded from the walls.

"_Hello Roy. Or Colonel Mustang, as you like to be referred to as. I see you've had enough time to inspect this room, and the machine holding your dear sidekick prisoner. Through your days in the military, you rarely break the rules or go against your commands. You do as you're told, whether it's traveling across Ametris, or taking a life. You've been through much war, and you've killed plenty… has it become easy to you? Can killing be done without much thought now? Well… this will be different. Your precious Hawkeye is chained to a cross- a very ironic symbol to your military- which has a timer built in. You have five minutes to save her, or her arms will be torn directly from their sockets, and soon her body. She will bleed to death unless you find a way to stop it. Can you bend the rules to save her life? You may use anything in this room as you wish, but it would probably be better if you swallowed your pride and go with what your heart says, not your head. The game has begun." _

The gears began spinning, grinding together awkwardly before going into a steady, ticking rhythm. The crack in the cross began to grow, stretching the arms out further apart as the seconds went by. Riza grunted softly as her arms visibly stretched out to accommodate the distance. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"Dammit!" Roy snarled, curling his fingers into a tight fist. He raced around to the gears, desperately searching them for flaws, breaks… anything that would help his case. They were old, but sturdy. This was bad.

Riza whimpered again. Her teeth were clenched against the leather strap in her mouth, and the blood was drained from her face as she struggled to keep herself very literally together. Her fingers were beginning to spasm violently and claw against the metal as if it would break her free.

Mustang did his best to ignore her pained cries as he continued searching for a way to stop the mechanism. He could use what was in the room, he recalled. But that the hell _was_ there to use? He glanced over his shoulder to see broken pipes jutting from the walls, and fragments of scrap metal dappling the floor. He doubted it would stop the gears, but… hell, he would try.

He ran to the wall and wrapped his fingers around the pipe, wiggling it slightly. It was loose, but he would need to put in a fairly high amount of effort to move it. His limbs were still tired from his previous experience in the "game" with the others… The others- That's right. He was alive, which meant that Ed had to… he would have… Mustang didn't want to think about that.

Riza screamed, or as best she could while being bound. Something in her arm snapped loudly.

That was exactly the sort of motivation Roy needed to tear the pipe from the wall with a loud roar tearing out from his throat. He stumbled to the side, but caught his balance and rushed back over to the gears. Tears were streaming down the blond woman's cheeks. She had finally lost her composure, and Roy knew he was about to as well. Her arms were already stretched out to grotesque lengths. How much time did he have left?

He slammed the end of the pipe in between two large gears. They sputtered, and slowed. Mustang gasped, and forced himself to calm down as the gears halted completely. It was over. He just had to figure out how to get her out of the braces. Running a hand through his black hair and taking another slow breath, he walked to the front of the cross and tested each strap.

A sharp screech pierced his concentration, and he spun back around towards the gears. The pipe snapped in two, and they immediately began spinning even faster than before.

"Shit!" Roy shouted over Riza's horrible cries, running back over to the machine. That pipe was the best chance he had of stopping them. There was nothing else in the room that would…

Another snap. Riza's left hand fell completely limp.

"No! Damn it, no!" He screamed, lunging at the whirling circles and grabbing at them. Maybe the adrenaline of the moment would be enough to stop them… or at least slow it.

Mustang's fingers became jammed in the teeth of the gears as they mashed together. He spat out a curse as they were crushed, the small bones shattered. He furrowed his eyebrows in anger and opened his mouth to curse again, but froze up. Though his fingers were broken in the gears… they slowed it down.

The pipe wasn't as thick as his hands were. Or his arms.

Sickening snaps came from Riza, but she had reached the point where the pain was too great to even make a noise. Her face was twisted up as she tried to bear it.

Mustang knew he would fail if he didn't act fast. Riza would die, and he would never live with himself.

He eased his hand into the gears, and the teeth clamped down hard on them, breaking the bones with little effort.

He couldn't let her down. Never again.

He dove at the machine, further jamming his arms into the metal. He screamed as his arm was broken in mere seconds, and his left was torn open and twisted to a disgusting shape. Blood spurted into his face, over his clothes, and dripped into a pool at his feet. His bones crunched, grinding together and piercing through his skin. He ducked his head, his jaw clenched so tightly that his own teeth were aching and throbbing with his pounding heart.

But his idea seemed to be working. As his mutilated arms were further intertwined in the mechanism, they slowed.

Mustang felt his knees give way, and he leaned limply towards the bloody teeth and brushed his bangs against them. They squeaked, and slowed even more…

And then they stopped.

The arms of the cross merged back together, and Riza gasped as her arms were set back in place. The one was broken beyond easy repair, but her other was still movable. It hurt, but she could use it.

The leather straps keeping Riza bound all let go suddenly, and she was carelessly dropped to the floor. She gasped, coughed a couple times, and then looked up at Roy with big, bloodshot eyes.

"C-Colonel!" She croaked, struggling to walk over to Roy. His face was pale from blood loss while his form slowly swayed, threatening to collapse. Riza's hands wrapped around his shoulders, and then moved down to his upper arms.

"Hang on…" She whispered, her voice hoarse and obviously tainted with fear.

Then, she violently yanked Roy back. He bit down hard on his lower lip, drawing blood at once and allowing it to run down and drip from his chin. He exhaled sharply as he was released from the gears, and was barely caught by Riza. His right arm was mostly gone, and in its place was a bloody stump, and some loose strands of tendons and shards of bone. Otherwise, there was nothing. His left was intact, but entirely and hopelessly shattered. He would never use either again.

"Colonel!" Riza cried, "You're… we have to…" She wanted to suggest medical help, but in their situation, there would be none. There was no one to help. Mustang could die at any given second, and she couldn't do anything to save him. She couldn't get his arms back.

She carefully helped him sit, and then placed him on his back. She tore off her jacket and used it as a makeshift bandage, wrapping it snugly around the bleeding pieces hanging from his shoulder. The other arm would have to get amputated later, if they made it out…

She dared a glance over her shoulder at the machine that almost took her life. If Mustang hadn't have sacrificed his arms, she would've lost hers. Then she would've been in the same position he was at that moment…

He willingly threw his life over the edge just for the chance of her survival. Would he have done that if they were in the midst of war? Even after all that they've been taught? He… he would honestly throw his life away for hers that easily?

Riza's shoulders began trembling as a fresh wave of tears spilled over her cheeks. Her psyche, bit by bit, tore into tiny pieces. What she used to know about the Colonel, her ability to stand firm even at the worst times, every rule she strictly obeyed at the military… shredded and tossed away. It meant _nothing._

She threw herself at Roy, who now lied unconscious on the floor, and sobbed into his chest while her fingers raked at the navy-blue, bloodstained jacket which used to symbolize so much.


	4. Edward's Trial Part Two

**Games**

Edward's Trial Part Two

* * *

_"How much blood are you willing to shed to stay alive?"_

* * *

Winry watched the second captive in the room sway slightly in his restraints. A harness was tight around his torso, with slender, but clearly strong, lines reaching up onto hooks connected to the ceiling. The air was still, and yet with every slow breath he slowly rocked forward and back in hypnotic rhythm.

She sighed. She already tried calling his name several times, and even banging her fists on the chain link fence keeping them separated, but Edward was a notoriously heavy sleeper. He would awaken whenever he wished, which was definitely not in the time range of her waking up and slowly losing her sanity from the disturbing silence. There was no buzzing, no sound of wind brushing against the outside of the walls, just… nothing. Winry didn't remember when such peace was ever so terrifying, but she also couldn't recall a time when she was kidnapped and nearly killed. All that she could do was wait for Ed to open his eyes and notice her, as well as his entire attire splattered with dried blood. She knew, in buried horror, that none of it was his. She even knew exactly whose it was.

As Ed's faded, amber eyes blinked open, Winry also knew it was probably best not to bring it up.

"Guh," he choked out, hanging his head. "Wha… oh man. How'd I get here?" His speech was slurred and almost drunk from mental exhaustion.

"Good morning," Winry said lamely, forcing her gaze away from the dangling blond. She drew her legs to her chest and set her chin on her knees. Ed gave her a confused look.

"You're here… but where's…" He trailed off, and his eyes slowly widened.

After two painful beats, Winry lifted her stare, only to cry out in terror as Edward's form shook violently.

"Ed! Ed, calm down!" She yelped, jumping to her feet and slamming against the fence. Her fingers dug through the steel loops. He didn't acknowledge her in the slightest, and went about his nearly seizure-like stupor.

"No! Fuck…! No, no, no… Dammit, _no!"_ His last cry rattled through Winry's brain, momentarily sending her to into a state of paralysis.

He kicked the air with his only available leg, and clawed wildly with his crimson-coated hand. Only after screeching something incoherent, and sending himself swinging in the harness, did he finally use up the last of his panicked energy. He fell limp once more, strangled sobs escaping from his lips, but no visible tears coming from his eyes.

Winry, on the other hand, was broken down and clinging desperately to the fence, causing her knuckles to fade into white. Her tears had built up into a tiny puddle on the floor. "E-Ed…"

"It's over… we're stuck in this damn game now," he whispered heartlessly. "It's… there's no…"

"You don't sound like yourself anymore," Winry commented bitterly through her tears. "It's not like you to-"

"Shut up Winry," Ed snapped, "You have no idea what I went through just to save _you._ To save myself. And right now I wish I wouldn't have…" He stopped talking for a moment, and furrowed his eyebrows. "You're right. Now I'm starting to sound like Mustang." He forced a weak laugh.

For a brief, but powerful moment, his heart throbbed. Mustang had killed Havoc so they could survive. And even then, _he_ had to do the dirty work to finish the job… he wasn't proud if it one bit.

Winry's gaze met his.

Proud of it or not, however, he wasn't about to fall into pieces so quickly. Regardless of how awful it was, he had to ensure his, and the others safety. He was obligated to.

His jaw clenched tightly. He had to find Alphonse. Someone did.

"_Hello Edward. And Winry, of course," _a gruff voice greeted. Edward bit down on his lip to keep him from saying anything. _"I must congratulate you, Edward, for being able to push past your morals on the last game. You are the reason everyone survived."_

_Except him…_

"_You're very quick-witted, aren't you? Always doing tasks on your own and jumping into things before taking the time to think about them beforehand. You run your own show, and everyone's simply around to watch. Do you enjoy being able to be so responsible for yourself at such a young age? Well, you shouldn't be. You, just like everyone else, needs to rely on others for your own safety. This is your test of dependency. Your life is not the only one on the line."_

Something whirred loudly in the walls and floor, before two pillars rose out from Winry's side of the room. They were both transparent boxes, and only one held a literal switch at its middle. The one without it bore two rods with faint copper and steel wires spiraling around them. The other was filled with stilled, small saw blades. The switch was at the back, and the only way to reach it was through a tiny cylindrical hole which was barely enough for a wrist with all the blades, let alone a full hand or arm. The one with the rods… both Ed and Winry didn't recognize its purpose until electricity suddenly sparked through it in between the metal. The blond girl swallowed, and stepped back away from both of the apparatuses and into a wall.

The other device activated as well after a pause, and each of the blades began spinning rapidly emitting a shrill noise.

"_These are your only ways of escaping. Get to the switch through the blades, and touch the rods and bear with the electricity long enough for it to release on its own. This is for you, Winry, as you never seem to take charge on your own. You can either risk your life to reach the switches, or…"_

Most of the wall beside Edward lowered, and a plane of even larger saw blades slowly eased their way out. As soon as Edward got a good look at them, they spun to life and began to inch towards him. There was about two yards in between them, and Ed could already feel the air from the teeth blowing against his cheek.

"_You are helpless, Edward. Completely, utterly useless… for the most part. You must direct her into the devices. Tell her what to do. If she fails, both she will die from either blood loss or electrocution, and you will be torn to shreds where you hang. You must dictate if you want to survive. Good luck."_

The voice disappeared behind the shrieking saws.

"Well this is perfect… Okay Winry, you need to- … Winry?" Ed tried, noticing her trembling and watching the large wall of blades. "Winry, focus!"

"I-I can't…" She mumbled.

"Just get the switches! It's not that hard! I really don't want to be made into minced meat!" He continued to growl, losing his patience. He was going to die because she was too afraid. This test was going to be harder than he thought. "We'll start it off easy, okay? Try the electric one. All you have to do is touch both of those… things, and hold on until it stops. As long as you don't move, it won't hurt much."

"Much?!"

"Look, it's better than getting fried! For the love of… just do it!"

"Fine!" Winry barked, rushing over to the box. She flinched as another spark shot off from the metal, and curled up her hands. "Uh…"

"Just touch them! That's all you need to do!"

Winry nodded slowly, not bothering to remove her gaze. Very hesitantly, she reached into the box, and forced her fingers to curl around the metal. She flinched at once, gasping, but bit down hard onto her lip until it bled in an attempt to keep herself still. She could feel electricity running through her limbs, using her as a conductor. It hurt like hell, but it probably didn't hurt as much as being rammed by hundreds of saws…

Something clicked, and the pain stopped. She sighed heavily and removed her hands, shaking them out a couple times in a small attempt to get rid of the lingering tingling.

"I did it," she murmured, turning around towards Ed. Pride sparkled in his eyes, uplifting the girl quite a bit. That is, until the wall of doom suddenly increased in speed, breaking through its lagging pace into something much more dangerous.

"Shit!" They both screamed in chorus.

"Quick! Get the other one! Now!" Edward demanded, panic blanketing his tone. Winry didn't hesitate this time, and sped over to the second box. Once looking at it closely, though, her face paled. She wouldn't be so lucky this time; there was no way of escaping unwounded…

"Winry… now would be a good time!" She could hear him cry, but her attention was on the blades. She had to stick her hand into… _that?! _It would tear it up in an instant… how was she supposed to even touch the switch in that?

"Winry, what the hell are you doing?!"

She decided to test it, sticking just her fingers into it. She yelped, and withdrew it as the side of her hand was slashed open. Blood trickled down her arm and dripped off her elbow to the floor.

"Winry! **Winry!"**

There was no way she could do it that easily. Or at all… it was too dangerous… she would get hurt… Dazed and mentally unfocused, she resorted to watching the crimson fluid leak from her hand. That would be her whole arm… She would bleed to death…

The only things she could pay attention to were the blood roaring through her ears, and her own twisted reason repeating itself in her mind. She couldn't… she would die… why would she-?

Then, in the midst of her confusion, was the single most horrible sound she had ever lived to hear. Edward screamed one last time out of desperation before the blades struck, slicing violently through flesh and muscle, flinging it onto the floor with small, but absolutely terrifying, splatters. Winry could only imagine him attempting to say her name as his last word before being torn to bits. He was relying on her and she let him down.

She shoved her hand into the blades, ignoring the searing pain as the teeth sliced through his hands and forearm. Then, right as she lost sensation through the pain, her fingers brushed a button. She pressed it and the whirling of the blades, both behind her and around her arms, came to a quick stop.

Winry remained standing like that for a long moment, and only dared to look over her shoulder as the harness holding Ed released, dropping him clumsily to the floor. He was entirely still and sitting in a pool on his own blood, which continued to grow as the seconds went by. She could tell his leg was cut up, but other than that… what had been struck by the blades? What did she hear…?

He moaned softly.

"Ed! Edward!" Winry cried, her tears returning as pure relief washed over her. She charged at the fence and watched him move a little, and make another small sound. Using one hand, he managed to lift himself slightly. Something plopped onto the floor; it was small, very mangled, and covered in blood. Winry had no idea what it was, but it looked like it had come from his face.

"I-I…" Ed spoke raggedly. His speech was… off. Something was wrong with his mouth… no, his face. What had fallen to the floor just then?

Winry took a step back as fear and anxiety boiled over inside of her. Ed struggled a little against the blood loss, somehow able to sit himself back up onto his leg in an awkward position.

"I…" He tried again, but ended up spitting up blood.

Finally, after calming himself, the blond looked up at Winry.

Her heart came to a complete stop.

The entire right side of his face was sawed off, and an empty eye socket stared grimly back at her.


	5. Alphonse

* * *

**Games**

* * *

Intermission: Alphonse

* * *

"Interesting… Even with such injuries, he still managed to survive… of course, that's going to leave an impressionable scar, missing half his face and whatnot."

He rose from his seat, and slowly padded over to the opposite wall where his intercom system lay. Once he heard voices coming from the rooms he had moved the injured teens to, one passed out from blood loss, the other from pure shock, he would explain the rules of the next game. On the other side of the labyrinth, the female of the two adults, Riza, was still awake, and, as he decided, still wasn't quite ready for the next test. Neither was the black-haired one… Not yet. They didn't understand their predicament as much as he wished them to.

A frown creased his lips as light glinting off a piece of metal caught his eye.

_He_ had been awfully quiet…

"What should I do with you, now? You're essentially useless to me; there's no way you could possibly be hurt… mentally, perhaps, by watching your brother unravel, but not physically. I don't want this to be one-sided-"

"Shut up," the metal barked shortly. "I don't want to hear it."

"Too bad," the man laughed, "because I don't intend on 'shutting up.' Your brother already tried shouting at me, did he not? You heard him. You heard all of them."

There was a choked sob.

He laughed once more, but more loudly, "Of course, and you heard him scream as his body was literally being torn apart. Must've been a wonderful noise for you, isn't that right, Alphonse? You should be thankful you're only in a suit of armor, and I can dismantle you without causing any pain. But of course…"

His fingers rested mere centimeters away from Alphonse's blood seal. He tapped at the metal impatiently.

"You _are_ useless. What good are you, other than for providing your brother means of motivation? I could kill you right now and he wouldn't even know…"

His hand fell.

"But that would ruin the point. If I do keep you around, it'll be for a little longer."

Through the speakers, the sounds of sobbing rose. The man chuckled; Winry must've waken up and seen the damage dealt to her precious little lover. He wondered how Edward would react as well, but only with slight curiosity. After surviving so much in his short lifetime, this sort of scar was sure to leave an impression.

"Oh, but there's still time," he mused to himself as he sat himself down in the chair. "His trial is not over… the games have only just begun."

* * *

Bahaha! I finally updating! Didn't think I forgot about this story, did you? I was just taking a break is all and working on this short chapter, which is sort of a transition into the second part of the overall plot. Just think about it- everyone's seriously wounded in a way, what could come next? More physical tasks? Psychological wars? Heh, you'll have to wait and see.

Also. I have a little survey/poll thing for my readers. Please leave your opinion in a review.

_Who do you think is the "Jigsaw" in this story?_


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